There has been a large area cleared near by. When I first started hunting this area several years ago, I had a fair amount of bucks. Some of them very nice. Then I had only does and young bucks (spikes and forks) for a few years. Last year was the worst. Lost a lot of deer to "blue tongue". So far this year about 6 does, a couple fawns and a decent group of nice bucks.
Glad you are seeing more deer this year.....it makes one wonder how many of these deer were so sick they were just bed ridden in a pile of acorns last year.